Halala: The Men Who Sell Divorce

An exclusive investigation by the Asian Network and Victoria Derbyshire Program has found online services charging divorced Muslim women thousands of pounds to take part in sham Islamic marriages. The controversial practice, known as halala, is believed by a small minority of Muslims to be the only way a divorced woman can get back with her husband after a triple talaq – an instant divorce where a man says ‘talaq’ three times to his wife. These marriages can leave women open to financial exploitation, blackmail, and even sexual abuse.

In this documentary, Athar Ahmad speaks to the women willing to have sex with a stranger in order to get back with their husband, asks why some are going to such extreme lengths and tracks down the men charging thousands of pounds to carry out sham Islamic marriages.